Vancouver Girl Wins
Edmonton 'Rose' Title
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THE SEVEN ENTRANTS at the Edmonton Rose Festival (L-R) [BACK] Shannon MacKinnon [Edmonton], Melissa O'Connor [Edmonton], Erin McAusland [Calgary] [FRONT] Ashley O'Connor [Edmonton], Erin MacPherson [Vancouver], Tracey Paplawski [Calgary], and Amanda Martens [Edmonton]. They are shown above with Festival organizer Moira Quirke (L) and Bill Morris, Irish Club president and their RCMP escort. |
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KARL GARDNER, First Secretary of the Embassy of Ireland with Erin MacPherson. |
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HIS EXCELLENCY the Irish Ambassador to Canada Declan Kelly and his wife Anne were welcomed to Alberta at a reception hosted by the Irish Cultural Society of Calgary on May 5. The Ambassador and his wife are shown above with Erin MacPherson, the Wild Irish Rose (Edmonton Centre) 2008, and Colette Smithers, president of the Irish Cultural Society. |
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AT THE IRISH CULTURAL CENTRE in Calgary (L-R) [BACK ROW] Declan Kelly, Ambassador of Ireland; Therese Byrne, Treasurer ICS Board; Cameron Millikin, Honourary Consul General of Ireland; Erin MacPherson, Wild Irish Rose (Edmonton Centre) 2008; Colette Smithers, President, ICS. [FRONT ROW] Cathy Johnson, Vice President ICS; Marise Kelly, Director ICS Board. |
EDMONTON - On May 3, a full house at the Edmonton Sports and Social Society celebrated this year's selection of their representative for the Rose of Tralee Festival.
The popular winner for the 2008 Edmonton Wild Irish Rose was Erin MacPherson from Vancouver.
Erin won out over six other entrants from Calgary and Edmonton and will now represent Edmonton and Western Canada at the preliminary festival in Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland.
Erin's Irish connections are from County Roscommon. Her grandmother was born and raised in Castlerea.
Her parents John and Una made the trip to Edmonton to provide moral support. If Erin is successful in Portlaoise, she will progress to the Rose of Tralee final in August.
This is only Edmonton's second year as a centre and the Edmonton Wild Irish Rose contest has generated much excitement and support from several sponsors.
The event is becoming so popular that it may well outgrow the Society's clubhouse as the centre was filled to capacity. Event coordinator Moira Quirke once again did an outstanding job organizing all aspects of the festival.
The five judges reported that they had a very difficult time choosing a winner from such a highly qualified and beautiful group of young Celtic women.
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